Carton construction



i Jan. 45., 1958 x-a. A. s'roLLER ET AL CARTON CONSTRUCTION Original Filed Feb. 18, 1953 IN V EN TOR. l/Pa frans/ A 7'7' ORNE Y CARTON CONSTRUCTION- Harold A. Stoller, Mtuclien, N.

Substituted for abandoned application Serial No. 337,529, FebruaryV 18, 1953.. This: application. April 23,V 1956, Serial No'. 579,815

This application'is a substitute for. my'earlier. application, Serial No. 337,529, tiled February 18, 1953,'aud was'led after it had become abandoned.

This invention relates to a container made from a suitable blank of sheet material scored andV cut to delineate single or multiple units of the end product, so formedthat'it is adapted to be readily assembled into hollow tubular form, lled and sealed. One end is initially perforated, scored and so dimensionedas to provide cooperating sealing portions and further cooperating portionsto provide sanitary sealingspouty portions for dispensingthe contents of the container whilefenabling the same to be resealed in a sanitary and effective manner.

One of the desired objects is that the container be adapted to have the top thereofv folded to at form for stacking purposes, at the same time being freeof ridges, overlaps, depressions,. andV the like, sothat` no outside water or. other contaminants can accumulate thereon, toprovide anrimproved` method of tearing open a dispensingopening, with a'clean sanitary pouring lip-which maybe. reclosed conveniently to maintain sanitation, andto .provide recesses so that the'- user may conveniently. lift and carry the containerl without contamination of the areawhich contacts the contents during the pouringoperation. The folding procedure herein described also gives added strength tothe container top by reason of the triangular positions of the upper panels, resulting in a double strength at each ofthe four upper corners.

The top horizontal surface, described above, has one horizontal dimension approximately equal to the top scored edge of one of the side wall panels; the other horizontall dimension is approximately equal to the top scoredledge of one of the two upper panels intermediate the' inscribed pair of triangular folding portions.

A'further object of the invention is to provide a foldable container blank having supporting triangular folds and. sloping upper panels to form a leakproof end closure of relatively great strength and rigidity, with a substantially dat-v top to permit stacking the containers when filled;

A further object of. ofthe invention is to provide' a containerf with a top end preformed to provide a convenientmeans for gripping, using andvcarryingthe container.

A further object of of the invention is to provide a container of such structural characteristics that it may be originally shipped in at form and readily assembled at the point of lling the same with the contents to be dispensed, thereby eiecting substantial savings in shipping space and costs.

A further object of the invention is to provide container fabricated as described hereafter, which is of such structural features as to enable the same, when closed, to be completely liquid and sift-proof.

The container top embodying the invention is adaptable to various forms of many-sided containers, such as square, rectangular and tapered; the normal sides of the 2,819,832 Patented Jan. 14, 1958 'ice 2l" containers arefreferredto hereinafter as panels Certain sections of the panels are outlined by scoring and are' part of the folding procedure; these are referred to herein as upper rectangular panels. Other sections, further; extensions of the panels, are also involved in the folding'procedure; they are referred to hereinA as .iaps.: Certainv othersections (which are further extensions of flaps), likewise involved. in the folding procedure, are herein referred to asftongues.

Thezmethodv of: the invention further contemplates .fabricating; the containers from at intoI tubular form,` as more particularly described below and shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein illustrative forms of the invention are shown, and wherein:

Fig;.1 is a fragmentary plan view of an upperend ofailat4 blank of material, cut, scored and preferably perforated pursuant to the invention,

Fig.n2 is a perspective view of the upper end of the container formedlin accordance with the method ofthe invention,

Fig. Slis a side elevational view, taken online 3`-3 of Fig: 2,.withthe pouring spout portion of the container shown sealed',

Fig. 4 is atop plan view` thereof, taken on line 4-'4 of-Fig. 2, andv Fig. 5 is an end elevational view, taken on line 55 of,Fig..3.

The drawings show illustrative forms of the invention which, as will be apparent from a consideration of the description herein, may be embodied in other forms.

As-shown in Fig. 1, the tlatblank of material B is scored as at V40, 40', 40 and 40"' to divide the blank into side-wall or lower panels 11, 12, 13 and 14; upper panels 15, 16, 17 and 18 are formed by further score lines,` as shown, for example, at 41, marking the points of connection of said upper panelswith the said side walls. Two alternate upper panels 1S, 17, are scored asshown in the drawing, to dene two triangular ends 19-20 and 21-22, respectively, within each of said panels 15, 17. It will be noted that the base of each triangle is of the height ofthe rectangular upper panel within which it is formed, and that, when said upper panel isk folded along the hypotenuse of said triangle (Fig. 2), said alternate panels 15, 17 will be caused to fold inwardly and simultaneously bring the inside. of the upper panels 16, 18 of the other two alternate side walls 12, 14 without triangles into contact with the under faces of said triangles. The end supporting flanges 23, 243, hereinafter described, extending from the upper panelslS, 17, are of approximately the same Width as the said upper panelsV less the, shorter sides of said-triangles and are adapted to be folded outwardly. of said panels 15, 17 and at substantially right angles to the side. walls 11, 13 to serve as supports for the end aps 25, 26, so that, when the blank is folded as hereinafter described and as shown in Fig. 2, a sturdy, substantially ilat'top container mayL beV formed.

Panels 15-18 in the folded carton (Fig. 2) ,extend inwardly of the side walls and rigidly support and strengthen the top of the container. Foldable end closing iiaps 25, 26 are formed as extensions of the alternate sides 12, 14 whose upper panels 16, 1S are not provided with triangles.

@ne of said aps (26) is in the folding of the upper end of the carton to the form shown in Fig. 2, disposed beneath the other (25); the latter is provided with foldable tongues 29, 30 along two edges thereof. In forming the container from the dat blank of material B shown in Fig. l to the form shown in Fig. 2, the side Walls, 11, 12, 13, 14, are formed up by folding along score lines 40 through 40 so as to define a hollow tubular form. One

of the side walls (for example, 11) may be provided with a sealing liange 39 which, in the completely formed container, may be positioned beneath side wall (14) and secured thereto by means of any suitable adhesive, rnechanical or other means.

The blank B of Fig. l may be readily folded along the line 40, so that the walls 13-14 and 11-12, will be disposed in close superposed relation for convenience in stacking for storage and shipment. At the proper time, the so partially folded blank may be readily opened up and the upper panels 15 and 17 folded inwardly; the end supporting flanges 23, 24, which extend from the alternate upper panels 1S, 17 intermediate the triangles are folded outwardly; end flap of side wall 14 is folded on the end-supporting flaps 23, 24; then upper panels 16, 18 are folded inwardly. The end` flap 25 is folded over end flap 26 and the tongues 29, 30 extending from end flap 25, are folded over and under end ap 26 and over the end-supporting flanges 23, 24 to seal the upper end of the container.

Tongue 31, extending from flap 26, will, at this time, be disposed beneath flap 24 and tongue 32 will be disposed, on panel 17.

The end forming flaps 2S, 26 are preferably provided with spout or double orifice closure portions such as S, S', which may be defined by score and/or perforation lines or the like, such as 25a, 26a, 25h, 26h. One of the spouts, such as spout S of end flap 25 (the uppermost end ilap in the preferred form of the invention), has tongue portion which is foldable over the edge 35-36 of end flap 26 and over the edge of end supporting ange 24. End flap 26 is provided with a spout portion S which may be of any suitable form and which preferably terminates in extended tongues 31, 32 foldable over and under endsupporting flange 24 and to overlie panel 17 (Fig. 2). Tongue portion Si) of end flap 25 is preferably previously weakened as by perforations to define the end of the separable portion of end flap 2S to form pouring spout S therein. Said spout may be secured to tongue portion 31 of spout S', so that, when the latter is lifted, the spouts S, S may be formed in one operation. If desired, the dimensions of the spouts S of the outer end ap 25 may be greater than that of the underlying spout portion S' of the end Hap 26 to cooperate therewith in dispensing the contents of the container.

When the container is folded up to the complete form shown in Fig. 2, the end flaps 25, 26 will have one dimension D substantially equal to the dimension D which is the width D side walls less the shortest sides of the triangular portions in said rectangular panels. When the carton is folded to the form shown in Fig. 2, the upper end thereof will be effectively reinforced, the inwardly inclined rectangular panels 15, 17 cooperating with the flat top of the container to provide a convenient means for gripping and carrying the container. The various parts above described may be secured together by means of adhesive, staples, or other mechanical or non-mechanical means suited for the purpose; a paraffin or other coating may be applied so as to make the container effectively leakproof and siftproof.

of each panel 15, 17 extending from such d It will be apparent that the contents of the completed, sealed container may be readily dispensed by simply grasping the extended tongue portion 32 of the inner spout S' and lifting the same, thereby carrying with it the underlying tongue portion of the spout S which may simply overlie it or may be secured thereto by adhesive or any other suitable means. The so-formed spout portions may be readily restored by refolding them to their nesting positions within the end aps 25, 26, to reseal the container.

I claim:

1. A leakproof tubular container of sheet material comprising a blank having a plurality of side Wall panels foldable into tubular form and overlapping end flaps as extensions of two alternate side wall panels, score lines on all of said side wall panels defining adjacent rectangular upper panels equal in number to said side wall panels, two of which upper panels directly connect'said end flaps and their side wall panels, score lines within two alternate rectangular upper panels dening, when the blank is folded into tubular form, triangles in said alternate upper panels between the end flap connecting panels, each foldable along its hypotenuse to direct the two alternate panels inwardly and simultaneously bring the insides of the two u upper panels of the remaining two alternate side walls without triangles into contact with the inside surfaces of said triangles, outwardly foldable flaps of uniform width on said alternate upper panels having opposite parallel ends aligned with corresponding ends of said hypotenuses, said aps being of approximately the same width as the said alternate side Walls Without triangles so that, when said end aps are folded one over the other, they define a substantially flat top for the container and the rectanu gular upper panels are folded inwardly between the side walls for support and strengthening purposes, a spout portion partially formed in each of said overlapping end aps and adapted to be completely formed by lifting along indicated lines, the lower one of said spout portions being extended past the marginal edge of its end flap to deline a tongue portion normally folded around one of said outwardly foldable flaps, whereby said alternate rectangular portions having the triangular portions may be folded inwardly in the assembly of the container to provide inwardly inclined surfaces beneath the folded end flaps, the said flap having the tongue portion being adapted to be folded under the other end flap, so that said tongue portion may be lifted to facilitate simultaneous separation of the spout portions.

2. A container as set forth in claim 1, in which the said end iiaps have a horizontal dimension approximately equal to that of a rectangular panel having the foldable triangles less the shortest sides of said triangles.

References Cited in the ile of this patent 

